Description

Before Marian Runk starts to reminisce on her recently ended relationship, we witness the break-up, illustrated when one of two monkeys transforms into a fish. The remaining monkey leaves the fish over the change. In the four short comics that make up The Fish & The Monkey, Marian paints a picture of dealing with a break-up.

The two middle stories revolve around memories flooding back after the break up. In one memory Marian is moved by a strange dream her girlfriend has had, but has lost the ability to express herself to her partner. In the second memory, evoked by the smell Marian’s hand lotion, her girlfriend tells her she smells like cookies. But as happy as this memory is, Marian is crushed by the fact that “she may never smell me again.”

The final story tells of restless nights on her recently-bought bed, torn by a variety of emotions, and how eventually, those emotions subside.

Beautifully rendered, Marian hits every note of the aftermath of a break-up with austere storytelling.